Abstract
Music and music therapy can be powerful tools for facilitating individual goals within the special education and community setting. This chapter considers how evidence from both music therapy practice and research can be used to make treatment decisions, with a specific emphasis on supporting development in children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the music classroom and the music therapy community clinic setting. The chapter discusses ways that research can inform decisions about the physical environment, appropriate accommodations/supports, and providing therapeutic interventions in a strengths-based approach. It also looks at how research and clinical practice have informed one another with examples including naturalistic practices, integrated music experiences, and community-based music offerings. The chapter then considers research designs that may be accessible to music therapy clinicians, with two examples of collaborative community research projects focused on individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.